Moopz's "Evil Anakin" Fic!
by MoopzVader
Summary: The genre is off, I really can't write horror, but oh well. This was inspired by a nightmare I had a few weeks ago. A young Jedi girl, hidden on Earth, lives in peace.But not for long...
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: WARNING – This is not one of my regular Anakin is such a good guy fics ****

Author's Note: WARNING – This is not one of my regular Anakin-is-such-a-good-guy fics! gasps from all around I know, scary isn't it? Out of my fics so far, this is the one where Vader's at his most cruel. I had a nightmare that inspired this story….let me stress that the operative word is nightmare. Some of this may sound a little like a horror movie, like Scream or something, since that's probably where the dream came from. In short: this is going to be one hell of a messed up fic. Oh, by the way, Anakin never fell into the Lava pit and ruined his incredible looks. 

That being said…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Darth Vader…damn, that stings. I don't own Star Wars either. I'm just a lowly fanfic writer with way too much time to think about my fics. The dreamworld portion of my mind gets credit for the inspiration. 

__

If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman… The music blared loud from the small headphones, provoking glares from those sitting and standing nearest to the wearer on the bus. TTC wasn't the best way to get around, no matter what the ads said, but the fact that one couldn't drive changed one's opinion quite a bit about public transportation. Sarah Gryph, the wearer of the headphones, leaned against the top of her bag. 

__

A 64% average? How could she give me a 64? Honestly, that woman hates every atom in my body. In fact, I think her hate goes down to a sub-atomic level. Ohhh, look at that puppy! It's sooo cute!

Yes, Sarah seemed a very normal 16-year-old.

__

It looks kinda like the stray Pitten that followed me home, when we lived on Alderaan.

Okay, maybe not so normal. 

To the city of Toronto, the country of Canada, hell, even the entire planet Earth, she was just a normal kid. A kid who did so-so in school, had friends like everyone else, and liked most different kinds of music.

Beyond Earth, though, is where things started to get interesting. Of course, Sarah didn't know if she was the only one of her kind who lived on Earth, but she did know that unlike everyone else she knew, Earth wasn't her first home. No one knew this, of course. No one knew that she had been taken to Earth at age 5 to escape the purge of the Jedi. No one knew of her spooky powers and the weird instincts that were pretty regular in her life. She didn't know whether the purge she had escaped was still going on or if it had been defeated by the small number of Jedi who had managed to stay safe. She pushed the "stop request" button and stood by the doors. Stepping out of the bus, she reveled in the cool October sunshine. Whatever was going on back home, she was sure of one thing: she was safe. After all, who would look for a Jedi adept on such a backwards planet?

__

Kryptonite…

She stopped, shivering. Looking around, it seemed as though nothing had changed, but there was something definitely wrong now. She felt like…like…

Like she was being watched.

She shrugged, rolling her eyes at herself, sauntering down the sidewalk once again. 

She missed the man, dressed in the darkest black, who was smiling cruelly at her from the shadows. 

"Sarah, telephone!" Sarah's adopted mom called up the stairs. Sarah put down her math book, groaned, and rolled over to grab the phone.

"Hello?"

"Is this Sarah Gryph?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice, Sarah."

"Oookay, well, this is me." _Weirdo._ Sarah sighed mentally. She really needed to get call display.

"Don't call me a weirdo, Sarah, what would your mother think?" The voice was mocking, now.

__

Oops, did I say that out loud? "Sorry. Well, bye."

"You sound just like her."

"Who?" Sarah had to admit, even if this guy was a couple innings short of a baseball game, he had peaked her curiousity.

"Your mother, of course. The great Jedi Anna Pauqk."

"The Jedi are fictional, and my mom wasn't one of them." Sarah began to get a little nervous. This guy knew too much. "I gotta go, bye."

She slammed down the phone, cutting off soft laughter. _Alright, someone tell me_ that_ wasn't the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me._

Trembling ever so slightly, she returned to her math homework.

Sarah slept, trapped in a nightmare.

She saw her mother, Anna, fighting for her life against a tall man in black. Their lightsabers clashed; hers deep purple, his blood red. He laughed in amusement as she screamed and fell from a burn to the arm and stomach. 

"Stop it!" Sarah yelled, running towards them, "Leave my mother alone!"

The man turned towards her "I thought you said she wasn't your mother." The voice was the same as the man on the phone. His eyes were shining with an evil light. He began to advance toward her. "Thank you for telling the truth."

"What do you want?" Sarah stumbled backwards, trying to keep the distance between this _really_ creepy guy and her.

"You." The answer was soft and it sent cold chills of fear down her spine.

"What do you want me for, I'm just a kid!"

"You are a Jedi child, and I have orders to exterminate every last one of your kind."

"Run, Sarah!" Anna, from her position on the ground, whispered. "Don't let him get you."

"She has little choice in the matter, my dear Jedi." The man smiled cruelly down at the beaten woman and continued to advance towards the now shaking girl.

"Who are you?" Sarah, nearly paralyzed with terror, managed to force the words past the lump of cold fear in her throat.

The man smiled enigmatically and continued to advance slowly. Sarah backed up a few small steps and swallowed hard. 

"If you come quietly, girl, I promise I'll make it quick. You won't feel a thing." The man whispered, a sudden wind ruffling his blond hair.

"Sarah," Anna moaned, trying to rise from the ground.

Sarah jerked as the sound of her mother's voice freed her from the bonds of fear that held her in place. She whipped around and began to run. As she ran, she tried to block out her mother's last cry and the laughter of her killer. 

Sarah woke in a cold sweat, clutching her blankets. She buried her face in her pillow and fought the urge to start sobbing over the death of her mother. 

__

It's not real, it's just a dream… she repeated this like a mantra, but she couldn't convince herself that what she said was true. 

And she couldn't rid herself of the sound of the man's heartless laughter.

To be continued…if I get enough reviews!!!! Like it? Hate it? Think I should keep my nightmares to myself? REVIEW ME!!!


	2. Nightmare - Part 2

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but since ff.n was down, I sorta didn't have a choice. Just in case anyone was wondering, TTC stands for Toronto Transit Commission. So, on with the fic!

Oh, yeah, I don't make any money, don't sue me.

2

"Yo, Sar, are you alright? No offence, but you look like you've gone a couple rounds with a rabid ferret." The speaker, a brunette with equally dark eyes, smiled slightly and turned to walk beside the nearly comatose girl. 

"Thanks for the compliment, I wish I looked that good." Sarah turned to look at the other "But seriously, Maggie, do you have a toilet I could drown in?"

"Nah, but I hear if you stand long enough in the washroom, you'll die from the fumes." Maggie looked curiously at the short blue-eyed girl. "What's up? I know you're not a morning person or anything, but this goes beyond your usual mood-o-crap. You can talk to me, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but it's kinda private." _That, and if I told you, you'd never believe me…_

"Sure, I get it." Maggie snapped her fingers, suddenly anxious. "Oh, yeah, did you study for math?"

__

* Whack * The sound of head hitting sky-blue locker echoed down the long hall.

"I'll take that as a 'no', then"

* _Whack *_ "I am _sooo_ dead." Sarah groaned. She looked to her friend in misery. "Want to accompany me to the washrooms? I think I may take the fumes over that test."

"Don't worry! I hear she wasn't here this morning, maybe we'll get lucky." Maggie sounded hopeful.

"You mean she might have caught a rare sickness of the brain where she is incapable of being mean and cruel?" Sarah asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, pretty much."

The bell sounded in the hall, cutting of the mad cramming going on in front of the math classroom. 

"Think you've got it?" Maggie whispered as they walked apprehensively into the dreaded room

"No."

"Well, relax, there's nothing we can do about it now." Maggie took her seat across the room and Sarah fidgeted, straightening her kilt and blouse. Glancing at the window, she sighed at her reflection, looking weary and worn.

__

Forget rabid ferret, I look like I've gone a round with a rancor. 

"Hey, Sar," The girl sitting beside her, Katherine, whispered excitedly. "We've got a sub!" Her brown eyes shone with delight as she gestured to the man who was writing instructions on the blackboard. 

"Really?" Sarah suddenly felt like she had been punched in the stomach, like she had been dumped in Lake Ontario – in the winter, too – and then roasted. She fought shivers as the hair on her neck rose. It was like someone was dragging their nails right across a blackboard, right beside her ear.

__

Oh no, not this. Anything but this…

She turned around, shivering, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She kept her eyes closed, but then, whispering a prayer to the Force, she chanced a look at the back of the classroom.

It was _him._

The man locked eyes with her, and Sarah felt a cold sweat form on her brow. She felt his cold presence invade her mind, probing. She gritted her teeth and tried to force him out, and a vibration, like a laugh, echoed through her being. 

She shivered, and prayed to whatever could hear her that he wouldn't try anything in a school full of people. 

The man, the subject of all her nightmares, smiled slightly at her reaction. He wore a crisp, plain, black shirt and a pair of black pants that accented his slim, wiry build. He smiled again, but the cold stretch of his lips was a parody of the pleasant expression that it normally was on others.

"Hey, Kat, do you see that guy back there?" Sarah tried to keep her voice down.

"Guy?! Where?" Kat whipped around in her seat. If she hadn't been so afraid, Sarah would have smiled. Some things never changed in a girl's school.

"Right there, at the back of the class."

"What guy? Sarah, are you feeling all right? Or have you finally cracked and started seeing an imaginary boyfriend?"

"You mean you can't see him?" Sarah started to sweat. To keep his presence hidden from an entire school…this guy was _strong_. _Oh, crap._

Watch your mouth, Little Jedi. The man's voice entered her mind and she gasped, jumping a little in her seat. 

Kat drew back a little; "You can't usually see imaginary boyfriends, Sar."

__

What are you waiting for, Murderer? "I…I know. How much longer is this class?"

"Twenty minutes."

__

I have no other duties for a while, after this one is complete. I intend to make this one last. Are you so anxious to end your life? The man laughed coldly.

__

You're playing with me. Sarah felt a load of cold lead settle in her stomach.

__

Of course I am. And I'm enjoying it. You're so easily frightened. I do hope you learn how to fight.

Why? So I can kick your hindparts back home?

No, so you put up more of a fight than your mother. 

Rage filled Sarah, and she nearly turned and lunged at him. As it was, she turned and glared. The man smiled mockingly, daring her to attack a foe ten times her strength.

Something hit her; then, about something the man had said. _No other duties…you mean the purge is…done?_

So you are intelligent, I am pleased. He smiled widely. _Yes, the purge is over, Little One, you are the last of your kind still living free…or living, period._

You murderer!

You make it sound as if it's a bad thing, child. They put themselves against a government that stood for order, and so they were…removed.

Killed, you mean. You killed them in cold blood, didn't you, like you did my mother.

Your mother fought, child. Not very well, but she fought. As did the rest of the Jedi.

The bell rang, and the class got up to leave. Sarah shoved her books into her bag, and forced herself to walk out of the classroom. She walked down to the locker room and opened her locker. There was a small holo of her mother there, but she had never before turned it on in school. She turned it on now, and looked sadly at the small piece of her past.

"How sweet." Sarah spun around at the voice and shrank against the locker when she saw him leaning against the doorway to the hall. She belatedly realized that the locker room was deserted. He slowly walked towards her, eyes on the holo. Sarah quickly shut it down and tossed it back in her locker, slamming the door and locking it. 

The man cocked an eyebrow, looking at her in amusement as he continued to advance. "You don't run. Good. You're learning." He stopped four feet in front of her. 

Sarah tried to melt into the locker. Despite her anger towards this man, he terrified her; and when he was this close, it took quite a bit to keep her from trembling. 

He smiled, and she _did_ start to tremble.

"I will fight you." Sarah tried to inject confidence into her voice and failed.

"Yes, you will." The man murmured. "And you will lose." He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, then stroked her cheek gently. "And then, Little Jedi, you will die." 


	3. And you thought things couldn't get wors...

3

The blond man laughed as Sarah shrank away from his touch. She jerked her head away from his hand.

__

The same hand that killed my mother…

"Stay away from me." Sarah stammered, wishing she could melt into the cold metal of her locker.

He laughed again, "Why would I do that?" His hand reached out again, this time moving past Sarah's right ear, to the locker behind her. He kept her still with his proximity. He leaned in close, whispering into her ear "You are powerless against someone like me, child. Get used to it, and hope I kill you quickly when I tire of these games."

Sarah jerked away from the lips that were brushing against her ear, smacking her head against her locker. 

__

Get away from me! Sarah's terror fed her rage at being helpless and she lashed out, kneeing her tormentor in the groin.

Her captor snarled, backing away, and Sarah took off. She lunged for the door, but found herself stopped in mid-air and thrown violently at a row of lockers. She slid to the floor, dazed.

The blond man still stood in front of her locker, looking at Sarah in contempt. 

The contempt disappeared from his features, replaced by an amused smile. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better then that." He stalked towards the downed girl, eyes menacing.

Sarah tried to rise on shaky limbs, but faster than thought, the man's hand darted down and latched onto her throat. 

He pulled her up and held her about a foot off the floor. Sarah's eyes bulged and she kicked weakly. Her tormentor smiled, and continued to hold her off the ground. Sarah kicked again as the room spun around her. Just as the room started to fade into black Sarah was dropped to the floor. Concerned voices surrounded her, and the room spun back into focus. 

Four people knelt beside her, trying to talk to her.

"Sarah, are you okay?" Maggie asked, eyes wide with fear.

"I…" Sarah gulped air "I think so."

"What happened?" Amy, a girl from Sarah's English class, inquired.

"I-" Sarah thought better of giving the truth, they wouldn't believe her anyway "I fell down." She finished lamely.

"Right…" Maggie looked a little confused "Sarah, are you sure you don't want to see the nurse or something?"

"I _said_ I'm fine." The words popped out of Sarah's mouth before she could stop them, and she winced. _Sith, I sound like such a brat_. "Sorry, just a little sore, I guess."

The two girls glanced at each other, helped her up, and together they jogged up to class.

English class was never fun. Sarah had the bitter misfortune of having the worst English teacher in the entire school, and a regular class consisted of the teacher lecturing them on the evils of books that had magic, extraordinary things, or any kind of imagination in them. Most of the time, Sarah just kept her head down and tried not to laugh or scream at the teacher for her blatant stupidity. 

As Sarah entered the class, she glanced around warily, looking for any sign of her tormentor. He was nowhere to be seen, and while that should have made her feel safer, it only made Sarah nervous. 

I know you won't let me go so easily…Where are you? 

Ms. Oné began the class as usual, reminding all present of the dangers of Disney movies and Harry Potter books, and – again, as usual – it took about three sentences for soft snickers to be heard from the students. Sarah rolled her eyes, feeling almost normal again despite her fear. She started to doodle in her notebook; drawing a little stick diagram of Ms. Oné and inserting a moustache and goatee.

She jumped and couldn't suppress a little scream as a hand gripped the back of her neck and a soft masculine voice whispered to her, "Drawing pictures of your teachers, Sarah? That's not very nice, you could get caught."

He stood behind her, bent to whisper in her ear, one hand holding the back of her neck in a not-quite-painful grip. She felt him smile as he asked softly, "Sarah, are you afraid of me?"

"No." Sarah whispered, aware of the stares of half the class. 

The man laughed, "Really? You're trembling; are you cold? Perhaps this will help…" He turned to the curtains and gestured.

The curtains burst into flame.

Amid the screams of panic, Sarah made her own small gesture. The flames slowly went out. 

"Very good, child. I wasn't sure if you were capable." He snickered, "Watch out, your teacher's coming."

"Sarah, wh…AH!" Ms. Oné screamed as a small, wickedly sharp knife rose up in the air and pointed itself at her face.

"An annoying little being, isn't she?" The man yawned; eyes fixed on the knife, hand squeezing Sarah's neck.

__

Leave her alone. Sarah tried to move her mouth and found it frozen, held by her tormentor's power. As much as she loathed Ms. Oné, she didn't want her dead… really. 

"Sarah?" Amy gaped at her from one row up, "How…"

"I have powers that you cannot contemplate." Sarah found her mouth moving against her will. "Before I'm done, all of you will be dead." The hand holding Sarah's neck shook as the man laughed silently.

The knife drifted down into Sarah's outstretched hand; "I will give you a two minute head start. Run."

People jumped up from their desks and ran for the door. Within fifteen seconds, the class was empty. The door slammed shut.

"Well, that'll be difficult to explain." The man stood and released her.

Sarah glanced at the knife held in her hand, then whirled and slashed at her tormentor.

He caught her hand easily. Plucking the blade from her grip and grasping both of her wrists in one large hand, he brought the blade down to rest against her stomach.

She whimpered in terror, sure that this was it. 

He laughed mercilessly and played with the blade along her skin, drawing little rivers of blood. 

"That wasn't smart, was it?" The man brought his face close to hers and spoke quietly, calmly. "Do you begin to understand now? Your life is _mine_."

"Who are you?" Sarah whispered, unable to do anything else – she was paralyzed with fear.

"I am Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith; and you are Sarah Gryph, who won't see the light of another day if I wish it. Know your place, child." He tilted his head, listening to something Sarah couldn't hear. A slow smile crossed his face; "I would run if I were you. The police have arrived." He took a step back and vanished.

Sarah whirled and used the Force to lock the door. She heard a _Thump_ as one unfortunate police officer slammed into it. She ran to the window, and swallowing hard when she saw the three stories below her, jumped out and ran.


	4. Force tricks and mind games

4

Sarah sprinted from the school, gasping for breath. She heard shouts as the police still stationed outside spotted her and began to chase her.

__

Oh, crap. Not good. Sarah reached the path running from her school down to the nearest major street. It was fenced by trees.

Big trees…

Sarah skidded to a stop, thankful that ice hadn't arrived to turn the path into a small luge. Gathering her legs under her she jumped, just as police arrived at the top of the path. Shivering in the concealing branches, she watched as the police raced by underneath her.

She sighed slightly, relieved. _Thank the Force._

Soon, though, she remembered her larger predicament and turned pale. Darth Vader, killer of the Jedi, after her! It wasn't as if she was a danger to him or his Emperor. She was just a kid! Well, sixteen, but still not old enough to really fight him. She whimpered quietly as she felt the cuts he had inflicted on her stomach.

"A little lost Jedi, crying alone in a tree? I thought you had a little more steel in your spine, little one." Vader appeared on the path below her, eating an apple and smirking up at her.

"Leave me alone!" Sarah snarled, enraged at her own helplessness. 

"Please," Vader snorted, "I tracked you this far, do you think that I would be deprived of my prize?" He smiled again, "This is actually quite enjoyable."

"Glad you're amused." Sarah muttered, clinging to a branch that seemed suddenly quite unstable. She glanced around, looking for a weapon, an escape route, anything…

A large tree stump caught her gaze. The soil around it had mostly eroded thanks to the rain, and it looked like it could fall at any moment. 

She concentrated for a moment, then sent it flying toward Vader.

It stopped a foot from his face, and he smiled up at her. "Very good." He gestured with one hand and sent the stump crashing against her tree.

The tree shuddered and bucked, throwing her free of its branches. She landed with a scream and a thump at his feet. Then all was dark.

Sarah woke with a groan. Her left arm felt like someone had taken to hitting it with a white-hot piece of steel. Clutching her arm, she weakly opened her eyes.

She blinked twice in bafflement as her own ceiling greeted her. She quickly glanced around, confirming that she was, in fact, in her own bedroom. A breeze wafted in from an open window, making her familiar white curtains dance. She gingerly sat up and tried to move her arm. Waves of pain greeted her at the motion, and she gasped. Grasping her forearm tightly, she chanced a glance down at it.

The arm was a blue-black mess, swollen to twice its normal size. She winced as she saw the deep scratches, some of which still oozed blood. She tried to rise, but as soon as her feet touched the ground a wave of dizziness swamped her, and she slumped back onto the bed, eyes already closing. 

"Sarah…oh Sarah," A singsong voice broke though her troubled sleep. "Wake up, little Jedi."

"What?" Sarah moaned and her eyes fluttered. She bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain in her arm, which had doubled since the last time she woke. She opened her eyes and screamed.

It wasn't much of a scream, as screams go. It was weak, and it was short, but it was a scream. 

Sarah jumped into a sitting position and scuttled into a corner between two walls before she even registered the thought to move. Vader knelt calmly beside her bed, toying idly with his small knife. He looked amused at her terror, and moved to put his elbows on the bed. Sarah whimpered and tried to back further away from that knife, but she was stuck in a corner.

"Poor little Jedi…you're trembling." Vader smiled cruelly.

"Stop toying with me." Sarah tried to keep the stammer from her voice and mostly succeeded. "Spare me or kill me."

"All in good time, child." He leaned forward to whisper to her, "I have a secret to tell you."

"Oh goody." Sarah pressed herself against the wall, frightened of his power and his cruelty.

"My Master called me…he needs my services in a week." He whispered.

"Do his boots need licking?" Sarah tried to insult him. Perhaps he'd kill her quickly.

Vader laughed softly, "Good, I almost thought you had broken." He leaned closer, "I will give you two hours to run. Go anywhere…make it difficult for me. I want an enjoyable hunt."

"Oh, as long as _you_ have fun…" Sarah's voice shook as she stared into his eyes, only inches away.

He smiled, "I will hunt you for three days. If I catch you during that time I will be _very_ disappointed. You don't want me to catch you."

"Naturally. I'm sure you'd have use for that." She nodded at the knife.

"This?" He laughed, "How quaint. I'm sure I can be a little more creative." He cocked his head slightly, bringing his blade up to rest lightly on her face, "Although some consider me an artist with this…"

"I hear many artists like paint."

"Perhaps. But blood makes a good substitute. As I said, you have three days to run."

"I thought you said your Master wants you in a week."

Vader smiled evilly, "I did. You are the last of the Jedi, young one. I need the extra four days to make up for the quick deaths of the others."


	5. Run run run as fast as you can

Author's Note: Sorry that I haven't updated in so long, my dog chewed through my computer wires. I'll try to get more out soon.

Anyhoo...here we go.

Sarah sat alone on the bus once more. She clutched her knapsack to her chest and tried to hide her face. If the bus driver got a good look at her, it would be a good guess that she wouldn't get much farther. She was wanted; wanted for threatening her class and her teacher, wanted because of the power she had.

_Hey, it's not that I don't like being wanted… Sarah almost smiled, but winced as her arm was jolted by a bump in the road. She glanced at her watch…one hour left. An hour before he came after her…an hour before she was running for her life. _

_Well, look who's the little drama queen. Hey, it was true. Vader was going to kill her if he caught her, it was that simple. Of course, she'd have a long time to think about how he was killing her, but the end product was, unfortunately, the same. She jumped off the bus at York Mills station and ran for the Go bus. Skipping past an elderly couple who were moving at about 2 meters per hour, she slammed through the doors and skidded to a halt before the buses. One went to Ajax, another to Markham, another to Brampton. Ah! One for Kingston! Perfect, that was more than half-way to Montreal. She might have a hope there, or maybe she could catch one from there to Ottawa._

_Yeah, drown yourself in the Rideau canal while your at it. It'd probably be quicker. Sarah squashed the thought in her head, and glanced at bus._

Oh, shit.

Mechanics hovered around the engine, talking amongst themselves. Engine trouble…from bad to worse. _This day just isn't gonna go my way, is it?_

"Uh, excuse me?" She slid next to one of the mechanics, "Is this bus going to leave anytime soon?"

"Depends on 'soon'. If you mean in 20 minutes, no. Today, yes."

"Thanks." _Shit. ShitshitshitshitshitshitSHIT!!!! OK, breathe Sarah, just breathe. What's farthest from the city?_

"That would be the bus to Ajax." The words came from about 2 cm from her ear, and she would have shattered windows with her scream if he hadn't covered her mouth. "Quiet, little Jedi. You don't want to attract attention, do you? You're in _awful trouble with the authorities. Charged with first-degree murder, I should think."_

She struggled with all her strength before going stock still as his words sank in. She moaned a word that might have been 'Murder?' if not for the hand covering her mouth.

"Oh, yes, terrible, isn't it? They found your teacher's body in the parking lot. Such a mess." She felt him smile, "You're shaking again…didn't you dress warmly enough? I should have ensured it…oh what a parent I'd make, forgetting things like that." He laughed quietly and let go of her mouth. He spun her around to face him and made a face of mock concern, "Oh, look at this," he took her chin and turned her head, "did I scare you, little Jedi? Did you not expect to see me?"

"Two hours…" Sarah whispered, trying to stay on her feet. "You…"

"I got bored." He said simply, "You aren't trying hard enough…surely this isn't your best? I'm disappointed in you child. Imagine what your mother would think."

Anger flared up in Sarah, liquid murder replaced blood in her veins. "You bastard!" She lunged at him, trying to punch, kick, claw, or bite. All she saw was red, and all she heard was her mother's dying scream. She roared in anger and tried to turn the Force against him, smash his skull, break his spine…anything.

Vader laughed at her efforts and returned his one of his own. It was incredible how one's fear returned when one hung twenty feet in the air. Sarah struggled, and tried to hit him again through the Force. 

Vader smiled, shrugged, and dropped her.

Sarah screamed, and curled up in a ball to try and absorb some of the impact…

And was abruptly halted about half a foot from the ground. Vader dropped her the rest of the way, and kicked her over onto her back. He knelt beside her, and took her broken hand in his. She flinched and shivered, but did not attempt to pull away.

"The human body is so fragile." He whispered "With one punch, one twist, a life can cease. So many bones, so many nerves, so many muscles turned to useless meat without the life to use them." He looked up from his observation of her hand, and she almost thought she saw a flicker of pain cross his eyes. If it was ever there, it vanished quickly. "You have more fire than I have seen in a long time, little Jedi. I'll enjoy hunting you down." He rose and nodded at the bus to Ajax. "Go take the bus, or don't. I assure you, I'll be in touch."


	6. Chillin', Illin', Killin'

6

Adrenaline can do amazing things; it can give strength and speed and energy to even the most lazy individual. Singing through the blood, it can revive even those who have gone past the limit of their endurance, those who otherwise would be passed out on the ground. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't last forever.

Sarah fell to her knees and lay panting for a minute. She could still hear sounds of pursuit, male voices calling to one another, mingled with their female counterparts. As if her situation couldn't get any worse, the police had found her. Thinking only of her most recent encounter with Vader, Sarah did what any self-assured, normal, reasonably intelligent being would do.

She ran like the hounds of Hades were snapping at her heels. 

She had managed to duck into a large city park and had sprinted through a grove of pine trees before there was any real pursuit. If they caught her…well, she wouldn't be escaping in any sort of hurry, and she was sure they would have some questions about the powers Vader had shown through her. Vader would be only too quick to find her, just as he had been too quick to find her before. Her breath burned in her lungs, the October chill gripping her throat with frigid hands. Her arm hung at an odd angle, limp at her side, aching dully and every now and again flaring pain seared along her nerves. Leaping a fair sized river and landing up to her thighs in mud, she fought to free herself and keep running. She staggered into a space between roots and fell to her knees. This brings us to the present time, and to Sarah, still trying to summon another burst of energy. 

"Why does the Force hate me?" Sarah whispered, shrinking into the bole of the tree as a police officer charged past, huffing and puffing. She forced herself to her feet and jogged through the trees, keeping close to the evergreens. Their smell wafted towards her, embracing her as she leaned against them. She peeked out and trotted back to the riverbank, avoiding the sticky mud that sought to trap her. She had long ago abandoned the idea of taking a bus, and anything larger was out of the question. A train? Too slow. A plane? Good luck getting on one. A Boat? That was the most likely of the three, but the nearest boat wasn't for miles, and she was having trouble moving a few feet. Besides, where would she go? She only had Canadian money, and very little of that. She had to concentrate on other things, in any case.

Like trying to figure out where Vader would be next, and going elsewhere.

She glanced behind her, and crouched again between roots, becoming like stone. Footsteps thundered above her, quickly becoming dulled by earth. She waited a few moments longer, listening intently. She almost moved when she heard a twig snap. She froze, holding her breath, not even daring to blink.

"A beautiful day, isn't it?" Vader leaned against a tree, toying with a twig between his fingers. Sarah swallowed hard, her breath hitching in her chest. Leaves rustled, and Sarah realized only later that it was from her own shaking. _He's here…he's going to-_

"Kill you?" Vader laughed, running his long, tanned fingers through his hair, letting the cool breeze play with it. "No, child, I'm not going to kill you. However, I must admit that your hiding places are becoming less and less original as the time goes on. I confess myself disappointed."

"Go play in traffic" Sarah hissed, leaping from her now useless hiding place and dodging through the trees. She heard him laugh and tried to get a sense through the Force of where he would appear next. The Force opened for her, but she could do little to interpret its many ripples.

She had trained herself, and even then only in things that she found amusing, like telekinesis. As she tripped over a root and was sent sprawling in the dirt, she bitterly regretted her lack of knowledge. She curled up in a fetal ball, covering her head with her hands and waiting for the blows to come. 

All was quiet for a moment, then she heard it. Laughter, coming from above her.

She rolled onto her back in a convulsive movement, almost a spasm. Vader lounged in a tree, laughing at her quietly. He covered his mouth with one hand, a hand that was gloved in light-leeching black. "Pardon my insensitivity, young Jedi, but this is the most fun I've had in a long time."

"You're sick." Sarah choked, coughing and tasting blood in her mouth.

Swinging down from his branch with easy grace, Vader grinned at her. "Come now, see this from my perspective. The other Jedi were so…_boring_. They fought, oh yes, and some of them fought well, but you," He knelt beside her and she swallowed, "your terror is intoxicating."

"At least _one of the Jedi hurt you." Sarah tried to nod her head at his gloved hand, but it emerged more as a nervous tic than a nod. All the same, Vader understood._

"What, this little trinket?" Vader tugged off the glove in one smooth movement, baring a hand that resembled a droid's more than a human's. "No Jedi did this. Work of a Sith, this one."

"There are others?" Sarah tried to keep her gaze steady, but it darted around like a confused hummingbird.

Vader laughed again, genuinely amused this time. "You thought I invented the order? Young one, you flatter me." He smirked "No, always two, there are. This," He raised his golden hand, twitching the digits, making them click. "Was the work of…my predecessor, I suppose." 

"That must have _hurt." Sarah yelled, lunging at him at the last word. Caught momentarily be surprise, Vader yielded. She tackled him, trying to get a grip on his throat. The momentum of her lunge took them down an incline and – as she had hoped – into the water._

_That hand looks like an antique…without the glove it has no cover, no protection. If it gets wet enough, it might just short out._

That was the plan, at least. Sarah broke the surface of the water – she must have rolled into a deeper portion of it – gasping for breath. Glancing around as she swam back to shore, she could see no sign of the Dark Lord. Laying on the shore for a moment, he still didn't appear, and she found a tiny spark of hope spring to life deep within. 

_Maybe he hit his head on a rock. _

She pulled herself to her feet, determined not to give him a chance to recover, and staggered back into the trees. She shivered, wet through and almost regretting her swim. It was October, after all. She pulled a leaf out of her hair…

"Freeze!" The shout came from behind her and jumped a foot in the air.

"Don't move," the police officer warned, pistol trained on her, holding up one hand to try and calm her. It didn't work. She thought she was going to have a heart attack. "Hands on your head."

"I can't." She replied, voice cracking.

"I don't care, put 'em up anyway." The officer, kept the gun trained on her and stepped closer, "Sarah Gryph?"

"Yes. But I didn't do any of those things that you want me for." Sarah tried to reason with the man, she didn't want to end up in jail.

"Well, put your hands up and you'll make it to court to say that." He gestured with the gun, "Up, now."

"My arm's broken, you moron." She snarled, shaken by his threat. Out of the garrote, into the shooting range.

"I'm going to count to - *_snap*" The man fell to the ground, head at an angle no human head was supposed to be at._

She retched, stomach reacting violently to the sight. She had never seen death before, never felt it this keenly.

Two hands, one marginally warmer than the other, grabbed her and threw her back into the shadows of giant oak tree. She yelped in pain, then again in terror as she was pinned to the tree and she saw her captor. He didn't look happy.

"That was a dirty trick, little one." Vader whispered, face millimeters from Sarah's own. "I'd be amused under different circumstances." Sarah started to speak, but he roughly covered her mouth with his mechanical hand, "Hush, little fool."

Three officers ran by, yelling for their partner, each gun seeking a target. She froze as one stopped, stared at their hiding place, and moved on. 

Vader was hiding her. But why?

"Because I don't want them ruining my fun." Vader hissed, a wicked grin flitting across his mobile features. He moved so that all she could see was black cloak, all she could feel was his breath, all she could hear was her own pounding heartbeat. Did Vader even have a heart?

"Indeed, it's the topic of much debate." Vader murmured, he tilted his head to listen to the cries of the police, "I had no idea you would warrant this much attention."

"You fear them." Sarah whispered around the hand still pressed firmly to her mouth.

"Them?" Vader snorted, "Hardly. I suspect that sub-species of human to be the product of a coupling with a Gamorrean. No, child," his eyes turned to ice, "I fear no one. Not those pitiful creatures, not the Jedi, no one."

"Jedi?" Sarah whispered, but the sudden tightening of Vader's hand stilled more words, and nearly broke her jaw.

A twig snapped, and Sarah heard the unmistakable sound of a safety switch flicked off. "Freeze, bub."

*_Snap*_

"Like I said," Vader grinned wickedly, spinning them around so that Sarah faced the body, pulling her so close that she felt his lips move as he spoke, "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."


End file.
